The Hidden Bag
by Darnunt
Summary: Susan is a 21 year old girl whose life is about to change when she finds something that might lead her to a great fortune. But first, she must solve the puzzle and survive the dangers of the jungle. An unexpected encounter with an unusual creature will have a major impact on her struggles...and her life. Rated M for some language, drug references and sexual content. 2007 Movieverse


**A/N: English is not my native language so I apologize for any grammar or spelling mistakes. This is also my very first fanfic so please try to be more understanding. Constructive criticism is welcome! I hope you enjoy.**

Emily had always hated moments like this - when you had so much to say but couldn't find the right words or the proper way to say them. Back in the days when she was still a teenager she would look around the room while she scratched her right tigh, waiting for her friend to break the ice. When their eyes would meet, both girls taken aback by the sudden end of the conversation, Susan was usually the one to whisper „_Awkward silence_" and it was all it took to make them burst into laughter.

She glanced at Susan, hoping to meet her comforting brownish-green eyes once again but all she saw there was sadness and regret. Her friend had her left arm wrapped around her waist, her other hand playing with the dragon-shaped medallion that adorned a rather simple silver necklace. Leaning against the wall with her head turned towards the window, absently staring at whatever was going on outside, she seemed lost and frightened. Emily remembered seeing her like this only two times: when her mother ran away with that Mexican guy and at her father's funeral. Susan was a happy, playful girl, always the kind of person to see the full half of the glass. It was always her who managed to bring a smile on Emily's face even at the darkest times; the true friend that had always been there for her when she needed someone to talk to and a shoulder to cry on. But now, when she needed her encouraging words and embraces, it seemed it was Susan who needed them. She listened to the constant ticking of the clock that rested on the white mantelpiece. Her gaze then shifted towards it, checking to see how late it was: 3:34 PM. She should have left 15 minutes ago but but it was hard, so hard to say goodbye.

"So, you're really leaving then!" Susan's voice was faint but solemn. It wasn't a question, it was a statement. She already knew the answer so she didn't asked, she said it!

Emily could swear there was something accusing in what her friend just said. She knew that once she was gone, Susan would be completely alone. She had no other friends except for her. Despite her optimistic demeanor, Susan was the kind of person who preferred to be alone and only befriend people who were like her. How they ended up becoming best friends was something Emily never understood. The two of them were so different: she was strong, determined, confident, realistic and independent, while Susan tended to be reserved, quiet, romantic, yearning for someone who would take care of her. Maybe because they knew each other since kindergarten and formed a bond that went beyond the personality clashes they often had to deal with. All those memories almost overcome her now. She finally gathered the strength to speak.

"I'm afraid so. I can't stay here anymore, not after all this."

Susan walked away from the window and sat on the armchair facing the other girl. She kept her head down for a bit before looking Emily in the eye.

"I understand. I would probably do the same thing." She waited for an answer but as her friend remained silent she continued. "Have you thought about were you'll go?"

"I have a cousin in Detroit. I'm getting a good price on this house. Those guys who came on Tuesday offered me 1,200,000 $. With that and the money I have left on the bank I'll have enough to buy an apartment there and start over."

"When's the day?"

"I have a bus tomorrow at 7 PM." Emily stared at Susan for only a few seconds before she dared to ask the question that she had held back for the entire day. "What about you, Suzy, what will you do?"

"Jesse told me he might have found a new job for me. One of his friends needs a secretary. But I'll have to wait a week and a half for that."

"Don't worry, I'll give you those 5,000 $ I owe you when I get back." Noticing Susan's confused look at the mention of said money, Emily explained. "Compensatory salary so to speak. I owe you as much. After all, you lost your job because of us."

Susan jumped up from the armchair, a compassionate look on her face and came kneeling in front of the other girl, taking her hands in her own.

"My god, Emily, you don't have to. It's not your fault. I know what you've been through in the past 2 months. Your dad's death – murdered no less, that nasty story with the drugs, the company in financial fail, your ruined reputation. It's too much for anyone! I'd be a bitch to ask money from you."

"No, Susan, I _want _to! You've been there for me, I've dragged you along from court meeting to court meeting, I almost caused you problems with the police. Besides, you were kind enough to help me pack all my things. It's the least I can do for you." Emily's determination left no room for further arguing. It was obvious she felt guilty for Susan's current situation.

"Ok, have it your way then."

With a sigh, Emily got up and taking her purse she headed towards the entrance door. "I have to go now or else I'll be late. I'll be back in about 5 hours or so. I'll bring dinner!" She opened the door but before walking out of the house she turned towards where her friend was and allowed a weak smile to grace her face: "Thanks again for everything, Sue. I don't know what I'm going to do without you. You're an angel."

"Don't mention it, Emm; That's what friends are for!" With that she watched as the door closed behind the young woman.

There were still a few things to pack before the house would be ready for it's new owners. Mr. Evan's office was still untouched. Emily couldn't bring herself to enter that room. It was probably in the same state the police had left it after they searched every last corner for evidences or any kind of clue that would help them in finding his murderer. They found much worse! Susan remembered the day the FBI showed up on her door, requesting that she accompanied them to the police station. She had never felt more scared in her life. They suspected she had something to do with Mr. Evan's illegal activities. After all, she had been his secretary for 3 years. She had to have known something.

Thankfully it wasn't long before they realized she was completely oblivious of the whole thing. But that didn't stop them from bothering her every 2 days. She filed so many reports she completely lost track of them. They would pester her with questions they had already asked a hundred times before – probably hoping the girl would finally break and confess or simply checking if her answers were the same as usual. Not to mention all the court meetings she had to attend as a witness in Emily's favor. Yeah, they would accuse her of drug dealing. Police claimed that not only Mr. Evans was selling cocaine but he was actually the one who made the stuff. Of course, the man was an expert in pharmaceutical chemistry, he had the proper knowledge and means to do it. Therefore, Emily, as his daughter was one of the main suspects as an accomplice. Eventually, due to lack of evidence against her, the FBI was forced to close the case. They never found out who the killer was; probably someone from within the business.

She walked up the stairs that lead to the second floor where the office was. She didn't know what she expected to find there. Probably all the papers had been taken away along with the laptop. That's what usually happened in cases like this. Opening the door she carefully stepped into the surprisingly clean and organized room. _Emm actually tidied up the room all by herself. Poor girl! _All her father's book had been placed in a chest near the bed. She wondered what Emily had in store for them. Surely she won't throw them away, these were all professional books that could either be sold or donated to hospitals, libraries and the likes. Other than that all was looking fine. She could see no papers or a laptop but she kinda expected that. They must have been held in the custody of the policeor maybe Emily packed them a long time ago.

She scanned the room, making sure she left nothing important undone. Seeing nothing out of order she proceeded to leave the room. Halfway through the staircase she suddenly halted and looked back towards the office. _The bathroom! Most likely Emm didn't bother to check it. _She turned around and walked once more the path she returned from. Passing through the room she opened the door to the bathroom. Just like she expected! All her ex-boss's things were seemingly unmoved. Her friend must have had the intention to gather them at some point because there was a cardboard box laying under the sink. Susan wasted no time in finishing the job. One by one, each bottle and shaving utensils were placed in the box. The only thing remaining was a big orange plastic cup that looked a bit old and was half shattered. _Not for me to decide what gets thrown_. She decided to just wash the thing put it in the box and let Emily decide its fate. She poured some liquid soap in it, let hot water from the sink run and rubbed it all over the cup and inside it.

A sharp pain coursed through her right middle finger and she let out a pained hiss. She quickly drew her hand back only to see bright red blood pouring from the tip forming a small puddle in her small palm. She muttered a curse and switched the cold water on and allowed the cool jet to wash her wound. She looked around trying to find something with which to bandage her finger but everything was already in the box. She stuck it in her mouth pushing her tongue against the cut and reached for some of the remaining toilet paper. She wrapped it around the injury and reached for the medical dressing with her other hand. When the task was done she threw the bloodied paper in the toilet and flushed.

A bubbling sound was heard from the flush tank and no water was poured into the toilet sink. Susan tried again to no avail. She angrily smashed the button only this time she heard a splash. "Great! Just what I needed!" The young woman took of the tank top cover to investigate the problem. What she found there was beyond her expectations: a gray hermetic plastic bag the size of a book laid at the bottom and from the looks of it seemed to contain something. The girl dipped her left hand in the water and pulled out the strange object. She inspected it closely, squeezing it in an attempt to guess what was inside. She grabbed a towel and wiped the bag carefully; obviously the contains were not meant to come in contact with liquids.

Two more layers of plastic bag were removed before Susan discovered an audio tape along with some notes and a map of Central America. Some points on the map were marked or circled with red. She pondered a bit on the strangeness of it all before realization hit her. Her heart began to beat fast and a knot formed in her stomach. _Maybe it's the map to a hidden stash of drugs._ But she needed to make sure. It could be something else. Should she just discard the darn thing? Or maybe show it to Emily? No! No, that was a terrible idea. That poor girl had already been through enough – burdening her with something that made no difference now was pointless and cruel. She stared at the tape. _Something important must be recorded here. I'll listen to it at home and based on its content I'll decide what to do with the information. Yes, that's the best thing to do. _She quickly ran out the bathroom and the office, descending the stairs, eyes fixed on her purse. She had to be fast. Emily might decide to come home earlier and catch her in the act. That would be unfortunate and hard to explain. She sat down on the sofa, her trembling hands on her lap and proceeded to bite her lower lip like she usually did when stressed. Could her life get any more complicated?

Susan nervously looked at the clock for the 8th time that evening. Ever since her bathroom discovery she had been anxious to leave home. However, she didn't want to make Emily suspicious in any way. It was 9:26 PM – a reasonable hour to tell someone you were leaving, and she wasted no time in taking advantage of this.

"I really should be going, Emm, it's kinda late. Thanks for the meal."

"Are you sure? I mean you can stay over the night if you want to. You look a bit pale."

"Thanks but you know I have trouble sleeping in another bed. I'm a bit tired and stressed out like hell."

"Ok then. You want me to call you a cab?"

"Nah, it's only five blocks distance? Nothing is gonna happen."

Seeing there was no way to convince her friend, Emily accompanied Susan to the door, suddenly sad at her departure. Realizing tomorrow could very well be the last time she'll ever see her childhood companion managed to bring her to tears. Susan most likely noticed it because a reassuring smile

"It's gonna be ok, Emm, you'll see. We can still keep in touch; there's phones, e-mail, Messenger, Facebook."

"Yeah I know but still, it won't be the same. You will come by tomorrow evening and walk me to the bus station, right?"

"I promised! I'll be here at 6 o'clock, don't worry. Good night, Emm."

"Good night, Sue."

"Oh, I almost forgot." said Susan suddenly remembering the bathroom. "While gathering your dad's stuff I had to use the bathroom and found out it's broken. You think you have the time to call a plumber before those guys move in?"

"Don't worry, I knew about the bathroom since yesterday. The plumber will be here tomorrow morning."

A shiver ran down Susan's spine and the beating of her heart accelerated. _Oh God, she knows, she knows. _"Have you tried to remove the tank cover and see what's wrong?"

"No. I wouldn't know the issue anyway. I'm not good at stuff like this. The guy will know what to do. But thanks for letting me know, anyway."

_Good, _thought Susan releasing a breath she didn't realize she was holding. _She knows nothing yet. This is good! Thank goodness for that._ "Well then, good night. Make sure you rest. There's a big day ahead of you."

"Yeah, you too Suzy. Sleep well."

Emily watched her friend walking away only closing the door when she was out of sight.

The young woman picked up the pace, eager to get home. For one thing, she hated wandering the streets at night. New York was a dangerous place after dark. An it was those things she found at Emily's that both excited and scared her. She needed to know what they were. The sound of her heels against the pavement made her feel anxious for some unknown reason. She had the feeling she was being watched from somewhere above. _It must be my imagination. Stress will do that. There's nobody out there stalking me. _Still, she instinctively glanced behind just to be sure she wasn't actually being followed. She looked above and she could swear she saw a shadow move across buildings at an amazing speed. She jumped a bit at that and literally started to run towards the door to her apartment building. _It was probably just a bird or a cat. Man, I hope I'm not going crazy._

The pitch dark in her room scared her and she immediately searched for the light switch. She locked the door as she always did and threw her purse on the table. After pulling the curtains she sat down on the bed, her eyes fixed on the CD- cassette player. She's been waiting the whole day to examine her soundings more closely and now, when she finally had the chance to do it, fear crept over her. She didn't know what sh expected to find but uncertainty was easier to bear than an ugly and possible even dangerous truth. Maybe she should just throw the bloody things away and be done with it. A morbid curiosity kept urging her to do the contrary, though. Eventually she gave in and pulled the tape, the notes and the map from her purse, grabbed her headphones and played the recording. She didn't want anyone else to accidentally hear it.

At first there was only silence and Susan almost stopped the playback, convinced that the tape was empty or degraded. A hitching sound followed by some sort of ringing – probably a telephone – changed her mind quickly. She turned the volume up a bit more.

_"Hello, __Señor Evans?"_

_ „Yes, who is this?"_

_ „I am Rámon Sánches, señor. Remember me? From Guatemala? That little village with the jungle road?"_

_*silence*_

_ „Ah yes, Rámon, how are you?"_

_ „I am well, señor. I called you about Doña Blanca. El Patron told me he wants to see her again. He wants to know when she will be available. He's very eager, you understand. He's enamorado, he he he!"_

_ „Yes, yes, Mrs. Blanca. Tell Mr. Díaz she'll be there next Saturday. She wants to see him as well." _

_ „Ah, good, good! El Patron will be very pleased. He wants to thank you for introducing him to Doña Blanca. That black suitcase you liked so much? It's yours when la señora arrives."_

_ „Splendid! Do send Mr. Díaz my thanks and compliments."_

_ „I will, señor. Saturday it is then?"_

_ „Next Saturday. Mrs. Blanca needs to get ready. She wants to look the best for your Patron."_

_ „Excellent, Señor Evans! Next Saturday it is. I'll let El Patron know. Well then, señor, I'll be going now. It was nice talking to you again. El Patron sends his regards to la Señorita Emily."_

_ *silence*_

_ „Mr. Díaz is too kind. Goodbye Rámon!"_

_ „Goodbye, señor!"_

After this, nothing else could be heard for about a minute. Realizing there was no more of the recording, Susan turned it off. She didn't know what to make of this strange conversation. At first it seemed to be about a certain Mrs. Blanca, but there was something..._unnatural _about the choice of words; like if they were forced. _Doña Blanca. _She wondered who that was. Maybe the notes could enlighten her. She unfolded the first one. Some phone numbers along with names she didn't recognize were written there. Noting she could make use of. Susan put it aside and inspected the second one. It was some sort of short letter addressed to Emily's dad. As she began reading it her eyes widened and her heart pounded in her chest.

_Señor Evans,_

_I could no longer speak to you on the telephone. I was afraid unwanted ears could hear us. So I sent you this letter instead. El Patron is slightly irritated that the merchandise will be arriving so late, but if this one is as good as the last, he's ready to wait. I'm afraid this time you'll have to come to Guatemala yourself. We had some problems with the delivery boy and we had to...eliminate him. We need to investigate this and find out if he had other accomplices. Until this is dealt with we can trust nobody else. El Patron is ready to compensate you for this inconvenience. 10,000 $ more than we had previously agreed. I hope you'll find this acceptable! We guarantee this is the only time we ask this of you. El Patron sends his apologies for the bother but you must understand; we cannot afford to endanger our business. I'm sure you feel the same way. _

_Please meet me in the same village we were first introduced in Guatemala. You remember it, right? If not you already have Señor Bailey's number; he'll help you out. Señor Bailey will also be the one to give you the money once we have the merchandise. El Patron said we owe you a total of 7,000,000 $ along with the additional 10,000$ I just told you about. If this is not the correct amount of money contact me again and we will remedy this. Mistakes can happen._

_ I wish you luck in your travels, Señor Evans and I'm eager to see you again and drink more of that tequila that you liked so much. _

_Yours truly,_

_Rámon Sánchez._

_ 17 December 2006_

So it was true, then. Mr. Evans really was a drug dealer. 7,000,000$! Holly shit! The tings she could to with those money. _Now where did that come from? Its dirty money, people have died. But, oh my God, 7,000,000$. That's more than I'll see in my whole life. _What the hell was she thinking? She didn't even know what happened to that suitcase.17 December 2006. That was 2 days before Emily's dad was killed. Did that mean someone else knew about the money and killed him for it? But what's the purpose of killing someone for something they didn't even have yet. Obviously her boss never got to meet this Sánchez fellow. He never left the USA before he died. So the money was still out there. But what about the drugs? Did the police find them already? It's possible – most likely that's how they found out he was a drug dealer.

She remembered the map. It was a touristic version of Central America. She searched for Guatemala and easily detected a small red circle. A small village she never heard of before was highlighted there. That "village with the jungle road" Sánchez was talking about, no doubt. It was in the center, slightly to the north-west. Not to terribly far from the Mexican border. Why was she even checking the map? Did she really plan on going there expecting to find the money? Only a nutcase would do something like that. _Those guys must have taken the money back since Mr. Evens never showed up. It was 2 months ago. Give it up, Susan. They're gone. _She looked at the phone numbers list again. There was a certain Mr. Flores, Mr. Bailey and Mr. Sánchez. The last two names were familiar to her. _What are you gonna do now, Susan? You gonna call and politely ask them to give you the money? _She laughed at her own silliness. Man, money sure has the power to cloud someone's mind. She felt ashamed. Her dad would be so disappointed in her right now. He had always talked to her about the values of dignity, virtue and honor. He had been a remarkable man, although a bit too old fashioned. She could go to the other side of New York and call those guys, see if at least the numbers were still available. It's not as if they could come after her, right? New York was a huge city, where will they find her? _Jesus, am I obsessed or what? This is retarded. _She shoved the things pack in her purse and got ready for bed. It was 10:46 PM. _Yeah rest will bring me back to the real world!_

The next few days hoped to find her more straight-thinking but oh was she wrong! Every night was the same as the last one. All she was dreaming about was a black suitcase with a jaw-dropping amount of money and the apartment she always dreamed of. A house of her own – then she wouldn't have to pay rent anymore. And she could go to university which would grant her access to better jobs. Wanting things like this didn't make her a bad person. They were rather modest dreams compared to others, right? Now that Emily was gone there was nothing to keep her mind off of this. In fact the loss of her friend made her feel miserable, abandoned and lost. That only fueled her desire for a better future. A future she could buy with those money. _But first I have to find them! _She sighed in annoyance as obsessive thoughts plagued her mind once again

"Oh for Pete's sake. Just give them a call and be done with it. I mean really, what could happen?" she blurted out having enough of this situation.

Susan couldn't believe she was really doing this. Was she crazy? But she had to satisfy this morbid curiosity or she would never get rid of this ideas ever again. She was now on the other side of New York, at a more than safe distance from her home. She scanned the area for a public phone and taking a deep breath she grabbed the receiver and called Bailey. Out of the blue, panic engulfed her. It was like her mind finally analyzed the stupidity and insanity of what she was doing. She was ready to end the call when a voice from the other side was heard. It sounded like an old woman.

_"Hello?"_

"Hello...I'm looking for Mr. Bailey." the tremor in her voice made Susan cringe. _Breathe deep. If you're planning on doing this at least do it right. Don't rise suspicions!_

She heard the woman gulp and take a deep breath before answering her. It looked like she wasn't the only one nervous. _Good. We're even then!_

_"W-who is this?"_

"My names is...Julia...Julia Smith. Mr. Bailey borrowed me some money a few months ago and I wanted to give them back. Can I talk to him, please?"

_"Mr. Bailey is not home at the moment. I'm sorry."_

"Oh! Well could you give me an address so I can come by and give them to you? I can't come back another time, I don't live in New York. I'm here with business and thought about stopping by and pay my debt to him."

_"I-I...I don't know, madam. I'm not sure it's right. I don't have Dennis' permission to do that. But I'll tell him about you when he comes back. Can you leave me a phone number, please?"_

"I only have two hours left before I miss the bus. I came all the way from Los Angeles. I can't wait anymore. I owe him 1,000$ and promised him I'll pay before the end of this month."

The woman tried to cover a gasp but Susan hear it. The mention of so much money surprised her it seems. Strange, drug dealers were rich; surely 1,000$ wasn't that much. But she didn't complain. If this really worked, then all the better for her.

_"Alright, then. Do you have a pen and paper?"_

The girl smiled. _Bingo! _She wrote the address on her small notebook and taking her leave from the woman she hang up. She checked to see if she still had the gun in her purse. Emily had asked her to buy a gun along with a permission over and over again. She claimed the city was too dangerous to walk around unarmed. She called her paranoid but eventually gave in, more to shut her up than anything. Now she thanked her. Can't go to a criminal's house and have no means to defend herself if things didn't go well. _Well, here goes nothing!_

The young woman didn't quite expect to end up on such a bad part of the City. It was a neighborhood populated mainly by homeless people, drug addicts, drunkards and otherwise all kinds of peculiar folk. She checked the address again. Yes this was the place. She tried to ignore the stares she was getting. A well dressed pretty girl wouldn't pass unnoticed in a place like this. She knocked on the dirty brown door that had the right number on it and waited. It wasn't long before noises were heard from inside the house and an old woman wearing some sort of blanked on her head and around her shoulders opened the door wide enough to get a look at whoever was looking for her. Susan saw the hesitation and fear upon her face and spoke as gently as she could.

"I'm Julia. We spoke about an hour ago. For the money!"

"Ah yes, I remember, miss." the old woman relaxed a bit, sensing no threat coming from Susan. She was still hiding behind the door, probably waiting to be handed the cash so she could go back inside. She was unusually cautious and Susan wondered if she was being abused in any way. People like that tended to behave this way.

"Do you mind if I come in? It's a bit dangerous to pull out money in a place like this, no offense."

She seemed to ponder her option for a moment before she nodded and held the door open for the girl to come in. It was a less than modest place but pleasantly neat and everything seemed well put in place. At least they were clean. That made Susan feel more at ease. Civilized people were easier to talk to.

"You are lucky, miss. Dennis only just arrived home ten minutes ago. He's in the bathroom. He'll be out in a minute. Please have a seat."

Susan sat cross-legged on an armless chair covered by a red cloth. The woman knocked on the bathroom door, letting the man know he had a visitor. He didn't answer but the shower abruptly stopped. Five minutes later, a tall blonde man about the age of 30-35 was face to face with Susan. Looking him over, she shifted uneasy in her chair. He looked like he could put up a good fight. _Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to come here. _The man stared at her just the same, obviously having no idea who she was. A kind, tender voice Susan didn't expect from a man like him filled her ears.

"May I help you, miss?"

"She's here about the money, Dennis?" spoke the old lady.

Dennis' eyebrows rose in a look of confusion with traces of fear. "What money?"

"Calm down Mr. Bailey, please. I mean you no harm!" Susan saw the defensive stance he took and realized he might snap. She got up from her chair and brought her purse to her stomach, ready to pull out the gun if she needed to defend herself.

"I told you I'm done with this shit! Why can't you just leave me alone? Haven't you done enough?" he was literally yelling right now. The raw fury she saw in his eyes reminded her of a wild animal ready to jump it's prey. He was going to attack her, she could feel it. Her survival instinct kicked in. She couldn't even remember what happened next – it was like something clouded her mind. A pitiful wail brought her to reality. She saw the old woman cowering behind the man, her bony hand covering her moth. Susan was pointing the gun towards the man who seemed barely affected by the gesture. She was shocked by her own actions. Was she really going to shoot them?

"You can shoot if that's what you're here for." said the man with a hint of exasperation. "I told you guys a thousand times before that I'm out of the business. Whatever you're here for, I'm not interested."

Susan relaxed a bit at his statement. She met his hard stare; it wasn't gonna be easy to talk to him, but the weapon in her hand gave her a courage she didn't know she was capable of.

"I'm not your enemy. I only came here to talk. I have an offer to make you, if you'll just hear me out."

"I'm not interested. Are you deaf?"

"It's not the kind of business you think."

Dennis took a deep breath, ran his hand through his hair and took a step back to sit on the bed, gesturing towards the girl to fall back on her chair. She did so. Noticing the woman was still around , Susan glanced between her and the man.

"You can talk freely. She's like a mother to me. There's nothing she doesn't already know. Let's hear it!"

_This is it! This might just work. Don't screw this up, girl! _She mimicked the man and inhaled deeply herself before speaking again. "Ok. But I need you to let me finish what I have to say before snapping again. Think you can do that?" His nod of approval was all she had waited for.

"Then let me start from the beginning. I used to work in a cafeteria. Mr. Evans often came by there. I once overheard a conversation between him and a certain Mr. Rámon Sánchez. It was about a drug trade that they were about to make. Mr. Evans was about to receive 7,000,000$. Yes, I _know _Mr. Evans was the one making the drugs. Don't ask how I know this. I have my sources."

"Mr. Evans never came. I don't know anything else."

"Of course he never came. He was found dead in his office at home. Shot in the head. Two days after he talked to that guy."

Dennis looked surprised at hearing this. "Dead, huh? Well that explains why he didn't answered any the calls. Look, lady, I didn't kill him if that's what you're here for."

"I wasn't accusing you. It was only an information. Anyway, I knew you were the one to make the trade in Guatemala, near a village with a jungle road."

"You could be a detective." laughed the blond. "I'm quite impressed you managed to figure this out all by yourself. Unless you work for them and all this is just a trap."

"It's not, I assure you. I'm practically risking my life by doing what I'm doing. Look, it's pretty obvious that the trade never took place. I don't care about the merchandise. What I really want to know is what happened to the _money. _Either you or Sánchez know."

"We waited for Mr. Evans for two hole days. Both of us called again and again but nobody was answering. We knew something went wrong. Sánchez stayed behind with the suitcase just in case he eventually showed up. I was sent to inform El Patron. When I came back Rámon wasn't there anymore and neither was the suitcase. I called him but he wasn't answering. I had to tell the boss. He was very displeased. They didn't get the cocaine. So, obviously we thought Rámon had run off with both the money and the stuff. We searched for him all over Guatemala but he was nowhere to be found. Four days later one of our men came with bad news. Rámon was found dead in an abandoned shack about 12 miles away from the village – no sign of the money or the cocaine. He had nothing on but his clothes, not even his ID. Somebody must have robbed him. El Patron stared to suspect me of killing Rámon and taking the money for myself. I was innocent on that behalf but he didn't believe me. They tortured me, hoping to make me talk. My answer was the same. They...killed...her...Sophia."

Dennis burst into tears. He cried like a baby, not caring who could see or hear him. The old woman shed tears of her own and pulled him in a warm embrace, rubbing his back fondly. Susan sat there in awe at the display. She couldn't help but feel sorry for this person. She wondered who this Sophia was.

"Sophia?"

"My wife. I never loved anyone so much in my life. I met her in Mexico on a "business trip". I promised myself to quit for her sake. I wanted a family with her and she wanted the same. We were so much in love. The boss new I wanted to retire. He probably thought I stole the money planning to run away with Sophia. Why did they had to kill her. It should have been me. ME."

"I'm so sorry for your loss, Mr. Bailey. How come they didn't kill you too?"

"Someone from within betrayed us, turned out there was more than just one spy in our ranks. The police showed up. They managed to escape but I was wounded. I couldn't run; they captured me. They promised to let me go in exchange for information. I told them everything I knew. In a matter of day they arrested everyone, except for El Patron. He refused to surrender and kept shooting at the cops. He died in the fire exchange. I had avenged Sophia!"

"Wow. That's quite a story!"

"I don't know what happened to the money. We never found the suitcase, although the men searched everywhere near the village and that shack. No stone was left unturned. You've wasted your time."

An overwhelming feeling of angst and disappointed washed over Susan after hearing this. So the money were gone forever. Not even they managed to find it. _Fucking bad luck! And I was this close. I managed to make the guy speak but it did no good. _She got up from the chair and looked Dennis in the eyes. "Didn't you try to find the money after this?"

"I'm not allowed to leave USA for 2 years. And even if could go, where will I search? The entire Guatemala? That suitcase could be anywhere or nowhere at all. Besides, my wife lost her life because of them. For me they are dirty. I may sound like a fool for giving up on such a huge amount of money but when one has to go though the death of their most loved one, nothing in the world can make them feel alive again. I know it's hard to understand, but that's how I feel. I don't want the money, to hell with all this. I don't even know why I still draw breath. Maybe I was too much of a coward to end it. I want to die but I'm a afraid to at the same time. It's stupid. In fact I don't think I'm even alive anymore. Everything ended for me the second Sophia died. I lost everything. Just look at where I live now. Go, find the money if you want. I don't care! Now, please, if you don't mind, I want to be alone!"

Susan stood up, put the gun back on her purse and turned to walk out the door. She remembered she still had those 5,000$ from Emily. She left 1,500$ on the chair but the man saw it.

"I don't need your money!"

"I brought back painful memories. Take it as an apology and a thank you for the help."

"No thanks."

"Then consider it a tribute to your wife, my way of paying respects. I lost my parents and my best friend. I know that pain."

Dennis swallowed hard and nodded his head. "Thanks, miss...I'm sorry I didn't quite catch your name."

"Julia."

"Julia! You are a young and beautiful young woman. Don't soil your hands with this. It's not worth it. No amount of money is worth your life or your soul. Let it go! I entered this business and payed dearly for it. A friendly advice. But...but if you decide to go...good luck. You'll need it!"

"Thank you, Mr. Bailey. I'll pray for you...and Mrs. Sophia."

"Just Dennis. And thanks."

She allowed the man to open the door for her and after taking their leave once more she headed towards the bus station that would lead her back home. She was still pondering on whether to go there or not. She was looking for a needle in a haystack. But she was a alone now – she had no rivals in this. The rest of the dealers were either dead or imprisoned. It was just her and Bailey. But he made it crystal clear he wanted nothing to do with this, besides he was prohibited from stepping outside the borders. That left only her. The only person who was free to search for the hidden treasure. She _knew _the money was there somewhere in the jungles, waiting to be found. And she _will _findthat suitcase. She realized how much she had changed in only a matter of days. Since the moment he found that plastic bag. The shy and confidence-lacking Susan was gone and she made room for a different one. A Susan who will face the dangers of the jungle, a Susan who will solve the mystery of this disappeared suitcase. And she will come out victorious. _I will find that suitcase! Those 7,000,000$ are mine. Guatemala here I come!_

_A/N: Leo will be there in chapter 2. So stay tuned. :)_


End file.
